Monthly Archives: August 2009

Being involved in farming ventures first hand (Big India Farms), we support what Michael Pollan is saying in this video.

“The real key to genetic engineering is control of intellectual property of the food crops that we depend on,” says Michael Pollan of companies like Monsanto. He advocates an open source Genetic Engineering (GE) mode, because today, you can’t publish your? research on Genetically Modified seeds by Monsanto otherwise they would bring a legal case against you.

Farming has become an occupation and cultural force of the past. Michael Pollan’s talk promoted the premise — and hope — that farming can become an occupation and force of the future. In the past century American farmers were given the assignment to produce lots of calories cheaply, and they did. They became the most productive humans on earth. A single farmer in Iowa could feed 150 of his neighbors. That is a true modern miracle.

In the above interview, Philp Kotler expresses his opinion on marketing lessons from Barack Obama’s 2008 US election campaign. Barack Obama made perfect preparation with discipline and right choice of bright people.The key marketing lessons that can be taken from Barack Obama’s marketing campaign were ‘high tech’ and ‘‘high touch’. High touch means there is an emotional component selling hope and high tech is using the Internet to its best. They created database for sending relevant messages to right people the right time. Continue reading →

The Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego contains some of the most extensive and dramatically designed
historic buildings in the area. Constructed between 1873 and 1930, these Victorian style buildings are truly a sight to behold.

The Victorian era buildings found in the Gaslamp Quarter are home to night clubs, restaurants, theaters, and shops. A simple stroll down 4th and 5th avenue will put you at the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter.

Also found in the Gaslamp Quarter is the Horton Plaza and Horton Plaza Park. The Plaza is the first place in the United States to feature a water fountain containing electric lights; a true tribute to the designer Alonzo Horton.

The Gaslamp Quarter received its name from the gaslamps that were used in the area around the early
1900’s. During those times, gaslamps were the main source of light for the area that is now the vision of Modern Day San Diego.

Now days, there are more than 130 stores and shops filling the Gaslamp Quarter. With everything from
Macy’s to Mervyns, Gaslamp Quarter has plenty for you to see and do. In Horton Plaza, you can find
a multi screen movie theater that is sure to please movie lovers.

For a wonderful experience, the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego shouldn’t be overlooked. There is a lot
you can do here, from fine dining to excellent shops. For a family vacation, San Diego has a little bit of something for everyone.

Along with the beaches La Jolla gives the San Diego area, it also has some very nice caves. The caves of La Jolla are great for tours, exploring, or anyone wanting to see the best of La Jolla.

Carved into the sandstone cliffs of La Jolla, there are seven caves. Most of the time, you can visit any seven of these caves by sea kayak. Although all but one are accessible by foot, you should be very carefully when minus tides sweep the area.

The Sunny Jim Cave is one of the most popular and well known caves of La Jolla. You can enter through the Cave Store by paying a small fee. There are 145 steep steps to get through the cave, which is great for exploring and seeing the area.

The cave store can tell you many things about the caves, including tours. If you plan to visit the La Jolla area of San Diego, the caves can be a great place to explore. Those of you who have kids coming along for the trip, should remember to be very careful – as the caves provide a lot of beauty – they can also provide a lot of danger as well.

Many benefits exist for re-financing a home. While there are some situations where refinancing is not the right decision, there are a host of benefits which can be gained from refinancing under favorable conditions. Some of these benefits include lower monthly payments, debt consolidation and the ability to utilize the existing equity in the home. Homeowners who are considering re-financing should consider each of these options with their current financial situation to determine whether or not they wish to re-finance their home.

Lower Monthly Payments

For many homeowners the possibility of lower monthly payments is a very appealing benefit of re-financing. Many homeowners live paycheck to paycheck and for these homeowners finding an opportunity to increase their savings can be a monumental feat. Homeowners who are able to negotiate lower interest rates when they re-finance their home will likely see the benefit of lower monthly mortgage payments resulting from the decision to re-finance.

Each month homeowners submit a mortgage payment. This payment is typically used to repay a portion of the interest as well as a portion of the principle on the loan. Homeowners who are able to refinance their loan at a lower interest rate may see a decrease in the amount they are paying in both interest and principle. This may be due to the lower interest rate as well as the lower remaining balance. When a home is re-financed, a second mortgage is taken out to repay the first mortgage. If the existing mortgage was already a few years old, it is likely the homeowner already had some equity and had paid off some of the previous principle balance. This enables the homeowner to take out a smaller mortgage when they re-finance their home because they are repaying a smaller debt than the original purchase price of the home.

Debt Consolidation

Some homeowners begin to investigate re-financing for the purpose of debt consolidation. This is especially true for homeowners who have high interest debts such as credit card debts. A debt consolidation loan enables the homeowner to use the existing equity in their home as collateral to secure a low interest loan which is large enough to repay the existing balance on the home as well as a number of other debts such as credit card debt, car loans, student loans or any other debts the homeowner may have.

When re-financing is done of the purpose of debt consolidation there is not always an overall increase in savings. Those who are seeking to consolidate their debts are often struggling with their monthly payments and are seeking an option which makes it easier for the homeowner to manage their monthly bills.

Additionally, debt consolidation can also simplify the process of paying monthly bills. Homeowners who are apprehensive about participating in monthly bill pay programs may be overwhelmed by the amount of bills they have to pay each month. Even if the value of these bills is not worrisome just the act of writing several checks each month and ensuring they are sent, on time, to the correct location can be overwhelming. For this reason, many homeowners often re-finance their mortgage to minimize the amount of payments they are making each month.

Using the Existing Equity in the Home

Another popular reason for re-financing is to use the existing equity in the home. Homeowners who have a considerable amount of equity in their home may find they are able to cash out some of this equity for other purposes. This may include making improvements to the home, starting a business, taking a dream vacation or pursuing a higher degree of education. The homeowner is not limited in how they can use the equity in their home and may re-finance a home equity line of credit which can be used for any purpose imaginable. A home equity line of credit is different from a loan because the funds are not disbursed all at once. Rather the funds are made available to the homeowner and the homeowner can withdraw these finds at anytime during the draw period.